GOLDEN DAWN'S annual schedule of dive destinations involves relocating the vessel to different locations in the country. This enables us to offer our clients the kind of varied and exciting diving that is consistent with Papua New Guinea's reputation for world class underwater action as we choose to dive these regions during the optimum weather conditions.

During June through September, GOLDEN DAWN offers Northern Papua New Guinea. Our trips run from Madang and Wewak. Madang departures go to the islands some 70nm east. The coastline and surrounding islands offer some truly great diving.

The islands of Bagabag, Crown and Long with their tall volcanic peaks and their superb fringing reefs feature one newly discovered site "Julien's Reef", is on par with "Carl's Ultimate", and is rich with corals and large schools of barracuda and mackerel and other pelagic species. The number of hammerhead sightings on this itinerary have been numerous and tiger sharks have also made appearances. The night anchorage's offer truly classic Milne Bay type muck dives in the rich volcanic sand. Snake eels, inimicus, turtles and cuttle fish are commonly sighted.
Further north on the Wewak run we start with some coastal wreck diving near the islands of Muschu and Kairuru. Here the Japanese were surprise attacked during WW2 and a number of their armed merchant fleet were sunk. The testimony of time has changed these wrecks into large artificial reefs, providing homes for an abundance of marine life. Many species of scorpion fish can be found camouflaged against the hull.
Ghost pipefish and frogfish have been sighted. You could easily spend a few days on these wrecks. While the vis can be modest sometimes it is generally around 100' (30m). Continuing north some 120nm towards the equator the outer islands of Ninigo and Hermits provide true atoll style diving with visibility exceeding 130' (40m) the seas are calm and warm. On this part of the journey we frequently encounter eagle rays, mantas, devil, marble and cow rays, turtles and a huge pod of friendly dolphins. One of the dive locations in this region, "The Dive", is another memorable site with pelagic fish life in the thousands against a dramatic back drop of reef in visibility that is in the region of 200' (60m).